


What if she met him sooner?

by Cottoncandypink



Category: Fairy Tail
Genre: F/M, How Do I Tag, I Tried, Rewrite
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-04
Updated: 2020-01-28
Packaged: 2021-01-23 06:59:55
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 4,188
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21316072
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Cottoncandypink/pseuds/Cottoncandypink
Summary: Lucy has an adoptive sister. Tessa Nid, renamed Sapphire Heartfilia when Layla and Jude decide to adopt her, came into Lucy’s life when she was only 3 making Lucy into a big sister like she always wanted. Layla discovers Tessa has a gift, she is host to an ancient oracle’s soul. This allows Tessa to make predictions about the future but she’s never aware of what she says. When Layla gets sick she sends Tessa away despite Jude’s protests. She joins FairyTail all the while keeping contact with Jude and Lucy. She’s able to keep Jude from turning into a cold man and Lucy’s story starts earlier and differently.I suck at summaries but you get the idea.
Relationships: Gray Fullbuster/Juvia Lockser, Jellal Fernandes/Erza Scarlet, Levy McGarden/Gajeel Redfox, Natsu Dragneel/Lucy Heartfilia, Rogue Cheney/Sting Eucliffe/Original Character(s)
Comments: 5
Kudos: 24





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first ever fanfic. Be kind, all constructive criticism will be accepted. Anything rude or with swearing will be removed (if I can do that since I don’t know yet).

On a cold winter day no one would dare walk in the cold without a coat or even shoes. A small figure however could be seen doing just that. All sense of time was lost to the tiny figure inching its way along a small road. Her mother told her to leave and follow the shadow that would lead her to safety. She ran without hesitation as any three year old would. She spent a long time crying but somewhere along the way the tears stopped suddenly. She was empty inside her bare feet moving on their own. Tessa couldn’t feel anything anymore but not because she was numb, the shadow seemed to wrap around her to keep her from the cold. Emotionally though, she felt everything; her heart hurt, her soul felt shattered, she wanted her mommy but her mommy was gone.

“Just a little further.” The shadow whispered.

Tessa trudged along listening to the rustling of the trees beside the small road and almost missed the whispered comment. 

“Why? Mommy’s gone.” she whispered back, her lower lip trembling.

“Yes, but you are not. You need to keep going, I cannot cloak your forever.” The shadow insisted.

“Where are we going?” Tessa spoke softly as if scared of the answer.

“To a place where a powerful wizard lives. She will take care of you.” The shadow spoke in its whisper like voice.

“Who is she? Will she really take care of me?” Tessa’s voice was uncertain.

“She has a kind heart. I am sure she will help you. I will be with you all the time, your magic is that of shadows.” The shadow reassures her.

“But my magic is fire? Mommy only showed me a little shadow magic.” She said frustrated.

“You will learn, the shadows will be your soulmate. The light will be your heart.” Whispered the shadow before going silent once more.

Tessa felt confused, she liked the shadows. The shadows obeyed her mommy, they play with her when she calls, and they are with her no matter where she goes. But how could shadows be her soulmate? What was a soulmate? What did it mean for light to be her heart? She liked fire, it’s warm and it helps her see at night but she was still confused. Her thoughts are interrupted by another soft whisper.

“Here.” The shadow said.

“Where?” Tessa asked confused. All she could see was a small village and mountains in the distance.

“This is as far as I take you.” The shadow whispered avoiding Tessa’s question.

Tessa felt the shadow unwrap itself from her small frame. Suddenly the world was cold. Her small body couldn’t take the change and she collapsed.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I own nothing except for my own ideas and character.

Lucy liked to play with her mom. This day however, Lucy’s parents were busy which meant her mom couldn’t play with her. In these cases it was the maid who played with her, but she was not in the mansion that day so Lucy decided she would find her. She loved the winter, playing outside in the snow was fun. She held her doll close to her body and wandered down to the village to find Spetto. She wanted to play in the snow, maybe Spetto would help her make a snowman? 

Lucy, rosy cheeked from the cold, skipped along with snowmen occupying her thoughts. It was a long walk but Lucy didn’t mind it. She occupied herself talking to her doll, Gonzales.

“Maybe Spetto will come back with us, maybe she’ll make us some hot chocolate after we make a snowman!” Lucy gushed, holding Gonzales up to her face.

“She can make us popcorn and play castle with us! That would be nice! Right, Gonzales?!” She spinned in the snow with her doll clutched close to her chest and a wide smile adorning her face.

In Lucy’s distracted state she didn’t see the poor little girl passed out in the snow before it was too late. Lucy tripped over the girl, her doll flying out of her hands and landing in the snow, and Lucy’s face hitting the snow a moment later.

“Ow!” Lucy sniffed trying hard not to cry.

Her tear filled eyes landed on the small body lying underneath her. Her small hands flew to her mouth trying to stop herself from screaming. Lucy got up and ran to get Spetto. In that moment both her doll and her thoughts of snowmen forgotten.  
Spetto lived at the very end of the village but to Lucy in that moment she was the only help she could get for the poor girl lying in the snow.

“Spetto! Spetto!” Lucy yells running as fast as her little legs can carry her.

She skids to a stop in front of Spetto’s door and bangs on it as hard as her fists can manage. Tears falling down her small face. She wanted to be strong but that poor little girl was lying in the snow without a coat and she wasn’t wearing shoes either.

Spetto opens the door looking at Lucy bewildered. “Miss Lucy, what are you doing here? What’s wrong? Why are you crying?” Spetto tried ushering Lucy into the house, she was wet and crying but she wouldn’t move. Instead Lucy pulled her towards the road.

“Miss Lucy what’s wrong?” Spetto tried again.

“She’s alone in the snow!” Lucy yelled frustrated.

“Who? Who’s in the snow alone miss?” Spetto asked trying so hard to get anything at all from the little girl.

“I don’t know!” Lucy screamed.

“Okay, miss I’ll come. Stop crying, please.” Spetto concedes.

Spetto grabs a coat and scarf pulling them on as she runs after Lucy. With the way Lucy is running Spetto believes someone is being killed. That grim thought propels her to move faster staying always at Lucy’s heels. It doesn’t take long until Lucy stops kneeling in the snow trying to pull something out. 

No not something, someone. Seeing the small figure unconscious in the snow pulls Spetto out of her thoughts. She rushed to Lucy’s side and quickly lifts the unconscious girl from the snow. Lucy runs to a nearby snow bank and starts to dig making Spetto’s heart drop into her stomach, but all she pulls out is her doll Gonzales.

“Miss Lucy we have to get her someplace warm, her skin is cold and her lips are turning blue.” Spetto tried to run back to her house but Lucy tugged on her coat.

“This way!” Lucy urges.

Spetto opens her mouth to argue. Her home is closer but the girl needs help now. She closes her mouth and runs after Lucy all the while trying not to jostle the unconscious girl too much. Instead she tries to focus on the girl. Her hair was long, as dark as the deepest shadows. Her lips were full, her nose small and pert. This little girl was beautiful for someone so young. Spetto couldn’t help but wonder, who is she and why was she alone in the snow? How did she even get into the village without anyone noticing? How old was she? She couldn’t be much older than Lucy.

“Mommy! Daddy!” Lucy screams as the come closer to the mansion. 

“Miss Lucy they might not be able to hear you.” Spetto said shifting the girl in her arms.

“They can hear me! We need to get her help. Momma and Papa can help her!” Lucy reasoned.

“Lets go in miss, they’ll hear you better from inside the mansion.” Spetto replied.

They ran into the mansion all the while Lucy yelled for her parents to help her. A few moments later both Layla and Jude Heartfilia ran down the stairs and into the foyer where they were greeted by their daughter and Spetto holding the young unconscious girl.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys so I was hoping to get a bit of feedback should I continue or put this work aside? It’s going to be slow at first but it should pick up once I get to the actual plot of FairyTail.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My story might have the characters be ooc at times. It’s hard to write as them when they have so little screen time in the anime. Please enjoy though!

Many emotions crossed Layla’s beautiful features. Layla was scared, she though her daughter was being hurt with the way she was screaming. Her emotions soon turned to relief, then she felt slightly annoyed that her daughter scared her like that! At the end she was only confused. There was a girl in Spetto’s arms, but Layla didn’t recognize the girl. Spetto didn’t have a daughter as far as Layla knew. So who was this little girl?

“Lucy? Sweetheart, why were you screaming like that?” Jude asked bringing Layla out of her thoughts.

“She needs help Papa!” Lucy answered simply.

“Spetto what is happening?” Layla asked.

“Lady Layla this young girl was collapsed in the snow far enough into the village that someone should have seen her but it’s like she was a shadow. No one saw her. Miss Lucy found her.” Spetto rushes to answer.

“I wanted to play, but you were busy mommy. So I went to find Spetto, I thought she’d play with me.” Lucy said.

“Seems like the girl needs help. We should get her warmed up first before we ask anymore questions.” Jude reasoned making both the women feel silly for prioritizing what happened instead of the unconscious child in front of them.

“Have someone start a fire Spetto. Lucy can you go find some blankets? Layla my dear, do you think you could manage to give her a warm bath if I carry her there for you? Make sure to dry her hair as much as possible before bringing her out here again.” Jude said leaving all three of them staring. 

Layla couldn’t love her husband more if she tried. In that moment he was more than a rich noble and businessman, he was a worried man who could imagine their daughter in this little girl’s place. Those thoughts made Layla’s heart swell with love for the man she had married.

“Yes dear, I can manage.” Layla confidently responded with a lovely smile on her face.

“Yes sir right away!” Spetto said trying to rush out to find someone who could bring the firewood and get the fire going.

“Spetto, maybe you should give the girl to me before you leave?” Jude chuckled holding out his arms to take the girl.

“Of course sir!” Spetto said embarrassed with herself for forgetting something so important. She handed the girl to Jude and let herself out to find someone to help with what she was charged to do.

“Daddy? How many blankets?” Lucy asked holding up eight fingers hesitantly. 

Layla then realized that while Spetto and herself had been stunned by this side of Jude, Lucy had simply been too embarrassed because she was still learning her numbers. Layla smiled at her daughter trying to convey her love through a single look.

“As many as you can carry. If you need help however, you can ask the maids to help you.” Jude says smiling at his young daughter.

“Okay papa!” Lucy beamed as she ran to find blankets.

As Lucy ran, Jude turned to walk toward the bath. This girl needed to be warmed up fast.

“What are you thinking dear?” Layla asked keeping pace with her husband.

“I need to know how she wandered onto the estate without a soul noticing her.” Jude said frowning.

“That comment Spetto made about the girl coming in like a shadow? Do you think maybe this girl is a young wizard? Maybe the reason no one saw her is because she was a shadow when she came here?” Layla said her brain working hard to find a logical reason for what happened with this poor girl.

“It could be, but where did she come from? How did she get here?” Jude says shaking his head.

“She is not shadow... she is light. She does not control us yet we obey, she can control fire to an extent yet she is still no wizard.” A whispering voice says.

“Who’s there?” Jude asks trying to hide the girl and his wife from whomever this intruder is.

“I am the shadows. I enveloped this girl on her long journey here. I lead her to the powerful wizard before me. She is special. I ask for compassion. Take care of her.” The whispered reply came.

“Where did she come from?” Jude asked still trying to find the intruder.

“She came from Alvarez. I carried her through shadows until we reached this place. I could no longer cloak her, and her body collapsed from shock. She is new to fire, she cannot heat up at will and the shadows.... we will always obey.” The whispering started to fade.

“Who is she?” Jude asks.

“Tessa Nid is her true name yet to you she can be whomever you wish...” was the cryptic answer that came from a huddled mass of shadows Jude finally located at the far end of the hall.

“Jude, let me.” Layla said simply. She walked towards the shadow being and spoke slowly.

“I am Layla Heartfilia. This girl is under my roof and she will be under my protection, but I need to know. Is she a threat to me or to my family?” Layla asks her voice strong.

“Yes and no. She will be what you make of her. She is powerful, but inexperienced. But one thing is certain, she will be every wizard’s chance at salvation.” The shadow says with finality. 

“Salvation? Then in that case dear what do you think?” Layla asked turning to her husband who was looking paler than before.

“If she is that important.... what do you say we adopt her Layla dear?” Jude said.

“I think that’s a wonderful idea!” Layla exclaimed with a smile.

“Welcome to the family little one. From now on for everyone who doesn’t know your true name, you will be known as Sapphire Heartfilia.” Layla says proudly.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let me know what you think! It’s a slow start but I’m having a bit of fun with it. Next chapter will have more of that shadow, I think I might make him a bit more than a shadow. He’ll be an important part of Tessa’s story.


	4. Chapter 4

Jude loved his daughter, he loved his wife, and for some unknown reason he felt a connection to this strange little girl. He felt happy that his wife wanted her to be a part of the family, but that ordeal with the shadow left him with an upset stomach. That shadow knew more than it was letting on. Jude didn’t know how he knew but he could tell this girl was not here by chance.

“Little Sapphire, I hope you get better. In the mean time I need to find out how you got here.” Jude mumbles to himself in the comfort of his study.

After Sapphire was bathed, her hair dried, and she was placed in front of the fire, Jude decided he could not just wait for answers he needed to find them. If Sapphire was running from someone he wanted to be able to keep her safe.

“I’ll send people out to investigate how one could get here from Alvarez. Maybe then I’ll have a clue how to keep her safe.” He mumbled again. 

Jude couldn’t shake the feeling that he needed to act now before something bad happened. So he settled on gathering as much information about Alvarez as he could. 

“It will take a while but at least this way I can make sure my family stays safe.” He sighed to himself.

“Jude! Jude, darling! She’s awake!” Layla ran into his study, making him jump to his feet in a moment of panic before processing her words fully.

This was it! Sapphire was awake, maybe she could tell Jude what he was up against? Maybe she’d agree to be a part of the family? Jude jolted at the realization that maybe they should have asked the girl before deciding she was a part of the family. 

No matter now, what’s important is that she’s alright. Jude thought to himself.

“Hi.” A sweet little voice said. 

“Hello there little one.” Jude said kindly.

“Where am I?” She asked slowly.

“Heartfilia estate. Ishgard.” Layla says.

“Where is he? Where’s Cethin?” She asked looking around.

“Who?” Jude asks confused.

“The shadow. He plays with me. He brought me here. Mommy told him to take me to where I was safe.” She said.

Jude couldn’t help but notice how sweet her voice is. How open she was with them. She’s definitely young like Lucy. She hadn’t looked up from the floor until that moment and Jude was stunned. This girl had green eyes... just like his, she could pass as their biological daughter! The only thing that gave her away was the colour of her hair. It was as dark as that shadow he and Layla saw.

“What’s your name?” Layla asked the girl. Jude remembered hearing her name from Te shadow but it was a good question, this way they could see just how much she remembered.

“Tessa.” She replied in a small voice.

“Would you like to be part of our family Tessa?” Layla asked. Jude knee she was rushing things and maybe it was a bad idea. She might not trust them at all.

“Okay...” Tessa responded not looking up.

Jude took that moment to look at her. She was so young, it must have been difficult for her to be alone out there. It was cold and he had no idea how long it could have taken her to get here. This estate alone was huge and she must’ve been walking for days maybe weeks. His thoughts are suddenly interrupted when she speaks.

“Cethin?” She called out before anyone had the chance to say anything.

“Yes little princess?” The shadow materialized in front of her and she beamed at it.

“Is this where I’ll find her? The powerful wizard?” Tessa asks.

“Yes. She is right in front of you.” The shadow replies.

“Who?” She asks tilting her head slightly.

“The one they call Layla and the one called Lucy will be just as powerful if she is allowed to hone her skills.” The shadow named Cethin responded.

“That would be me, my name is Layla. This is my daughter Lucy.” Layla said motioning for Lucy to come closer and introduce herself.

“Hi.” Lucy said smiling.

“Hi.” Tessa responded again tilting her head to the side as if Lucy were an amazing specimen to be studied.

“Si how about it? Will you become a part of our family?” Jude surprised himself by asking again. One could only be so sure of what a child says, she might change her mind.

“Yes, princess. You must stay hidden so say yes. Take a different name, but never forget who you are.” Cethin says before vanishing again.

“Okay. I’ll be your family!” Tessa says brightly.

Her tender reply made Jude smile more than he thought he’d smile in his whole life. He now had two princesses instead one one and his queen by his side.

“Your name to those who don’t know your real name is Sapphire Heartfilia.” Jude proudly said repeating his wife’s earlier words.

BONUS:   
This is Tessa’s beginning as a Heartfilia. The second heiress of the Heartfilia Konzern. Sapphire Heartfilia, her name would be reverently whispered, rumours about the mysterious heiress spread. Jude’s favourite rumour being that both sisters were as beautiful as his wife, yet each as different as sun and moon. Those people didn’t know how accurate they were. Though it was more like one sister was the tender light of the stars and the other a comfortable still dark like the night.

Jude chuckled, he loved his young daughters they were his everything along with Layla. He couldn’t be happier. His happiness however clouded his ability to see beyond to things that were happening around him. Cethin watched him from the dark corners of the house, he was a good man but he had the potential to be tainted by darkness. Cethin resolved to make him see the light always even if to do it he had to keep all his shadows away.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’m a little unsure of this chapter. I might change it up. Let me know what you think!


	5. Chapter 5

It was obvious Tessa loved her new life but she also missed her mommy. As she grew up, she spent a lot of time calling on Cethin to tell her more about her mommy. She often practiced her fire magic in front of him and was becoming quite good. She also learned shadow magic from him and he seemed to adore her. At times Layla found it a bit unsettling to have the shadow around. Lucy however, loved him. They would play hide and seek with him for hours on end. Sometimes even Jude would join in. Maybe Layla was just being paranoid? Maybe it was because the shadow sometimes mimicked the way one of her daughters looked? She’d call out to whom she though was Sapphire only to have pitch black eyes turn to her. She took it back it wasn’t ‘quite unsettling’ it was ‘very unsettling’. Never before had Layla seen anything like this shadow. He was a living being, yes a shadow but he could think, he could use magic, he was more than he let on. Layla could feel it in her bones. Her thoughts were cut short when a 9 year old Lucy comes running to her squealing in delight as 8 year old Sapphire chases her.

“Mommy!” Lucy says laughing.

“No fair Lucy! You have longer legs!” Sapphire complains but her laughter makes it hard to take the complaints seriously.

“Come play with us mommy! You can be the princess! I’ll be the dragon!” Lucy says letting out a little roar.

“What about me?” Sapphire asks.

“You can be the knight!” Lucy says brightly.

“What does a knight do?” Sapphire asks.

“A knight protects the princess, silly!” Lucy giggles.

“Like Cethin does with me? Or daddy with mommy?” Sapphire asks.

“Yeah! Just like that!” Lucy says.

“Okay then! I’ll protect you mommy!” Sapphire shouts happily.

“Okay I’m gonna go grab my dragon mask I made yesterday!” Lucy says excitedly.

Lucy runs off happily, leaving Layla with her youngest daughter. Layla had been staring fondly after her eldest daughter that she didn’t notice Sapphire’s posture stiffen.

“Where’s Cethin darling?” Layla asks Sapphire.

“One year.” Sapphire says in a voice that isn’t hers. 

“Sweetie? Are you alright?” Layla asks in a panic.

“One year from now your duty will be fulfilled, never needing to be passed to the one who carries your blood. It will,come at a great cost, however, that cost will be your life.” Sapphire continues as if she never heard Layla speak.

“Sweetie, what are you talking about?” Layla asks her panic becoming fear, her youngest daughter knew about her family’s secret. That sacred duty passed down throughout the generations. No one but her knew it, her and those who came before her. Layla grabbed her daughter and turned Sapphire to face her. Layla gasped as she looked at her daughter’s eyes, they had become completely white! Glowing with a beautiful light that was not natural at all.

“What is going on?” Layla screamed.

“I am the oracle of old, I reside in this child. She will never know what I speak through her. You must fulfill your destiny.” Sapphire says.

“What? What will happen?” Layla asks scared of the answer.

“Answer the call, open the gate. Five little ones through the skies fall, they for you wait.” Sapphire says.

“If this is what I must do I will but what will become of my daughters without me?” Layla asks her blood running cold.

“One shall a dragon marry, the other shall become the treasure of two.” Sapphire says in the oracle’s voice.

“A dragon?! But they no longer exist! And what does it mean that one of my daughters will become the treasure of two?! There isn’t a single dragon left in existence!” Layla paces as she shouts.

“The dragon will come, he will warm up the cold left in this home, but for him to come soon this child must go.” The oracle says.

“Where?” Layla asks in a small sad voice.

“To the place where the Fairies are strong. To where they have tails.” The oracle replies. At that moment Sapphire’s eyes become once again green and her small body stumbles as she regains control.

Layla is left speechless. So many years hiding this secret and now it had become bigger than it was before. Before, she felt as if her days were numbered, now she knew they were. She was going to die, and this time she knew it for certain. Her youngest daughter was sent here to warn her! All those years wondering why she was so fortunate to have found the beautiful little girl and now she knew why. 

“Mommy? Why are you crying?” Sapphire asks. Layla hadn’t known tears started falling from her eyes until it was pointed out by this beautiful little girl. She knew where to send her, she just hoped they would take her and raise her to be the strong wizard she was meant to be. She was only sorry she couldn’t see it happen. She wouldn’t be able to see her daughters grow up, date, find love, and eventually get married. There were no grandchildren in her future. There was only the grim knowledge of what lay ahead.

She knew she should be scared, but she wiped her eyes and hugged her daughter close to her. She would face this with courage, she would not be weak, her daughters and their future depended on her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally posted something! Sorry guys I had a hard time writing this as I am in college. My life became so hectic I couldn’t even write a few sentences.
> 
> Hope you like it! I realized it would take too long to get to the FairyTail part unless I sped it up a little more than I originally intended. Also this is a short chapter and I’m sorry! I hope you can understand!
> 
> Let me know what you think! Also I think this oracle has a nice cryptic way of giving spoilers! *nudge nudge wink wink cough cough* (I think all this fake coughing made me sprain something, is it possible to sprain you lung?? Lol)


End file.
